The Route

Five days, 1000+ miles.

And hey...I went to a lot of trouble to make the map all interactive and zoomy, so play with it a bit. Tracks laid down from my Garmin, so you can zoom in real close to see all my secret spots and pee breaks - more of the latter.

Day One - Pleasant Hill CA to Oroville CA

Hot. Damn hot. Ugly ride on the flats, sweat like a pig. No pics - I'd rather forget it. Arrived at Scot's new remote compound, and he whipped up a mean pork chop, so at least things ended on a bright note.

Da Tractor: Kubota L3130I had this bright idea. It went something like this…

First, buy a tractor. Heck - once you’re a land baron, there really isn’t any argument against the decision. At least none that I was willing to listen to.

Second, clear the land.

Third, build a barn.

Unfortunately, there was a problem with Step Two. You see, as fine a machine as the little Kubotas is, clearing 2+ acres of heavy brush and trees is somewhat of a tall order. Particularly when you are only in town for a couple days. Being a city boy with virtually no tractor experience can be a potential drawback as well.

Snow at Da Digs: Freshwater Bay SnowOn our first trip back to FWB after escrow closed, we got a nice reality check. A nice, heavy snow dump - I was driving in 4WD, at about 10MPH from the Hood Canal Bridge all the way to Port Angeles. They tell me this is quite unusual…we’ll see.

Now, don’t get me wrong - I ain’t one of those warm weather California wimps. Part of the attraction of Washington is the concept of seasons and temperature swings, something sorely missing from our East Bay location - basically, we get green for two months, then over a period of about two weeks, it all goes brown. Blah…

Found It: Freshwater BayWe’ve known for some time a move from California was in our future. The “when” and “how” have always been variables, but the “where” is now becoming clearer.

Washington was always at the top of our list. After discovering Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula at a C-Brat Gathering, the search narrowed.

Over the course of a couple years, we made several trips to the area. While the State Park and Sequim Bay are nice, Sequim quickly got crossed off the list. Many folks love the area for it’s mild weather and minimal rainfall, but living in CA, I’ve had enough brown hills for a lifetime.